HOME :: MARKETING SERVICES :: SALES FORCE AUTOMATION (SFA)
While some businesses begin managing their sales team's efforts with Outlook and Excel, there comes a time to graduate to a more robust solution. There's three major steps needed to make that graduation, but we'll get to that later.
JDM offers process managment, SFA or CRM solution implementation and training services, but what is SFA?
Sales Force Automation or SFA is software as a service for formalizing and automating sales activities including:
- Lead Acquisition from Marketing (XDC)
- Lead Categorization
- Contact Management and Follow up
- Information Sharing
- Sales Forecast Analysis
- Employee Performance Evaluation
SFA tools can also cross-function as CRM or Customer Relationship Management tools which optimize and automate post-sale activities like:
- Order Processing
- Order Tracking
- Customer Management
- Inventory Monitoring & Control
Leaders in robust SFA and CRM solutions include (from most expensive to least): Microsoft CRM, Salesforce.com, and ACT.
Three Steps to Graduate to a More Robust SFA/CRM
1. Formalized Sales Process and Categorizations
Before graduating to a sales force automation solution, formalize your sales process.
Ask the sales team to decide:
- What is considered a "qualified sales lead?"
- How many and how frequent should the follow-ups be?
- What is the criteria for "disqualification?"
- How are repeat buyers handled?
- How should leads be assigned to sales team members?
- What is success and what is a failure?
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2. Train and Enforce
There's little point in rolling out a robust sales force automation or full CRM solution if everyone just keeps using Outlook and Excel. Train team members well. They will quickly see the solution's value to their own performance.
Aside from training, enforcement is another component. Commit this to memory, "If it's not in the database, it doesn't exist." Put commission compensation on the line and watch adoption rates skyrocket.
3. Integrate with All Business Units
One of the most powerful parts of the more robust SFA tools is their ability to cross function with other business units like marketing, fulfillment, inventory, accounting, and of course management.
Contact JDM to learn more about SFA and CRM and for help determining the right solution and process management for your business.
Before you can champion an innovative technology initiative like this, we invite you to review “10 Things You Must Know About Sales People.” edited from Robert Moreau’s B2B Marketing Best Practices Blog.
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